Contact device for electrical perforating-machines, &amp;c.



No. 801,932. 'PATENTED OUT. 1'7, 1905. D. STOOKMAN. CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELECTRICAL PERFORATING MACHINES, 8w

APPLICATION FILED DEC.10. 1904.

.Qw v /U// @M%" M 21 W O wit" mom- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL STOGKMAN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO Gr. HOWLETT DAVIS, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELECTRICAL PERFORATlNG-IVIACHINES, 8co- Specification of Letters Latent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed December 10, 1904. Serial No. 286,412.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that I, DANIEL STOGKMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented new and useful Improvements in Contact Devices for Electrical Perfo-. rating Machines and other Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to contact devices for perforating and other apparatus,particularly those in which an electrical contact is formed through a perforated stencil.

It isa well-known fact that certain kinds of paper, especially the kind employed in the manufacture of perforated music-sheets, contains numerous small metallic particles, and when paper .of this character which has been properly perforated to form a music sheet or stencil is used for copying or duplicating purposes in an electrically-controlled perforating -machine these small metallic particles sometimes make a false contact or contacts, set a punch or punches, and cut a false note or notes. This of course is very objectionable and has proven to be a source of considerable annoyance to those operating electrically-controlled perforating-machines.

It is the prime purpose of the present invention to overcome the objection above pointed out and to provide a novel form of contact device wherein it is impossible for false circuits to be made by reason of the metallic particles in the stencil-sheets engaging or bridging the contacts.

in carrying outmy invention 1 provide two cooperating contacts that are constructed and arranged in such a manner that the engaging or contacting point of the two is removed from the surface of the stencil-sheet, so that when an imperforate portion of the sheet is passing between the contacts the latter will not only be separated one from the other, but one of the contacts will be removed or separated from the stencil-sheet.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of the contact and stencil holding device of an electrically-actuated perforating machine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the contact-block. Fig. 3 is a further enlarged view of the two contact members with the interposed perforated sheet.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The stencil 1 is of non-conducting material, such as paper, and is perforated in the usual manner. This stencil is wound upon the delivery-spool 2, which latter is set removably into the frame 3 in any suitable manner. From the delivery-spool 2 the stencil 1 is led downwardly around the idler 3 ,..thence horizontally across, and thence downward and around the contact-block 4. The lower or free end of said stencil 1 is drawn slowly forward by either a continuous or an intermittent movement by any suitable means, but preferably by the double-apron feed mechanism shown in the patent to George Howlett Davis, dated October 2, 1900, and numbered 659,053.

Sunk slightly below the face of the contactblock 4 are the heads 5 of the series of equidistant contact-rods 6, which extend downwardly through apertures in the two portions 7 and 8 of said contact-block 4. The lower ends 6 of said rods 6 are preferably screwthreaded into the lower part 8 of the contactblock and fit loosely in the holes of the upper part7, thus giving an independent adjustment to each of the contact-rods. A universal adjustment of the rods is obtained by raising or lowering the top section 7 by means of the ad justing-screw 9 and the set-screws 10. From the lower end 6 of each contact-rod 6 a lead-wire 11 is run to the rear of a contactpoint 12, the front end of which in turn connects with the blade-spring contacts 13 of the perforating machine. The contact heads 5 are preferably made of separate platinum tips in order to obviate corrosion so far as possible. Normally resting upon the center of each of these contact-heads 5 is the free end of a flexible wire contact or selector 14, the other end being rigidly secured with like members to the metal contact-bar 15. This con tact-bar 15 turns in the adjustable supporting-arms 16, of which there are two, and is given a tendency to normally turn clockwise by its spring-controlled lever-arm 17, and the free ends of the contact wires or fingers are thus kept normally pressed downward, the spring 17 attached to the arm 17 serving to accomplish this end.

Whenever it is desired to insert a stencilsheet between the contact members 6 and 14, the lever-arm 17 is raised, and this in turn raises all the contacts 14 sufficiently to insert or adjust the stencil.

Supposing the stencil-sheets and contacts, &c., to be in the operative position shown in the several views and a perforation in register with the contact members, then the free end of the wire contact 14 will protrude through the perforation 16 and contact and form an electrical connection with the contact-head 5, which, as previously stated, is sunk slightly (in practice about one thirtysecond of an inch) below the surface of the contact-block, all as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Now in the forward travel of the. stencil 1 the edge 16 of the perforation 16 will force the end of the contact-wire 14 upward into the position shown in the dotted lines and cause it to rest and ride upon the imperforate portion 16 of the stencil, which latter does not at this time or at any other touch the contacthead 6, and thus the two contact members are separated by an air-space 18, as well as by the non-conducting material forming the stencil. It is this double insulation of one contact member from another which forms the spirit of this invention, as I thus obviate the making of the occasional false contacts owing to the metallic particles which accidentally get into the paper forming the stencils and through which the circuits are completed in other similar forms of contact devices.

While it is preferable to employ stencils made of non-conducting material, yet it is possible to employ metal stencils without making any material changes in the form of device herein shown. In this event the airspace 18 would be relied on wholly for insulation, and the stencilwould beinsulated from the frame 3 by employing an idler 3 and spool 2, of wood.

The parts 7 and 8 of the contact-block 4 in all cases are made of non-conducting material, preferably slate.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the character described, a support of insulating material constituting a bed for a stencil, a pair of cooperating contacts between which the stencil is adapted to travel, and means for establishing an air-space between a face of the stencil and one of the contacts.

2. In a device of the character described, a.

support of insulating material constituting a bed for a stencil, a contact arranged below the plane of the said support, and a second contact cooperating with the first-named contact.

3.- In a device of the character described, a block of insulating material having an opening therein, a contact-rod located in said opening and having an end thereof sunk below the surface of the block, and a contact-finger having its end arranged to enter the opening in the block and bear upon the contact-rod.

4:. In a device of the character described, a block, a contact carried thereby and sunk below the face thereof, means for adjusting said contact, and. a second contact cooperating with the adjustable contact.

5. In a device of the character described, a pair of cooperating contacts, and means for keeping a stencil fed between said contacts removed from one of the contacts.

6. In a device of the character described, a block, a plurality of contacts carried thereby, the upper end of each contact being located below the surface of the block, and a selectorfinger cooperating with each contact.

7. In a device of the character described, a block of insulating material constituting a bed for a stencil, a plurality of contacts mounted in openings in said block and each having one end terminating at a point below the surface thereof, and a selector-finger cooperating with each contact.

8. In a device of the character described, a block of insulating material, a plurality of contacts mounted in openings in said block, the upper end of each contact being below the surface of the block, and a selector-finger cooperating with each contact.

9. In a device of the character described, a block of insulating material, a plurality of contacts, means for adjusting said block relatively to the contacts and a selector-finger cooperating with each contact.

10. In a device of the character described, a block of insulating material, a plurality of adjustably-mounted contacts each passing through an opening in said block, means for adjusting the block relatively to the contacts, and a selector-finger cooperating with each contact.

11. In a device of the character described, two blocks of insulating material, a plurality of contacts in threaded engagement with one block and each passing into an opening in the other block, means for adjusting the latternamed block, and a selector-finger cooperating with each contact.

12. In a device of the character described, two blocks of insulating material, a plurality of contact-rods in threaded engagement with one of said blocks and each passing into an opening in the other block and having its upper end terminating below the surface thereof, means for adjusting the upper block toward and from the lower block, and a selector-finger cooperating with each contact.

13. In a device of the character described, two cooperating contacts, means for holding a stencil fed between said contacts out of engagement with one of the contacts, and a yielding mounting for one of the contacts.

14; In a device of the character described, two cooperating contacts, a yielding support for one of said contacts, and means for holding a stencil fed between said contacts removed from engagement with the other contact.

- 15. In a device of the character described, a support for a stencil-sheet, means for feeding the stencil-sheet over said support, a plurality of stationary contacts, the upper end of each of which is arranged below the plane of the support. a yieldably-mounted bar, and a plurality of selector-fingers carried by said bar, the free end of each finger coeperating with one of the fixed contacts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand 1n presence of two subscribing Wit- IIBSSBS.

DANIEL STOCKMAN. Witnesses:

G. HOWLETT DAVIS,

MARGARET A. JACOBS. 

